In Limine Somnia
by NRGburst
Summary: (On the threshold of dreams) Missing scenes in the three days between 3x14 and 3x15. Kolvina, Davina & Josh
It's strange to watch him sleep.

It'd just always been the other way around. She'd open her eyes and he'd look over at her with that oddly tender expression before saying something to make her smile.

And as reassuring as it is to see the steady rise and fall of his chest, she's worried she made a terrible mistake.

If only Kol hadn't been so stubborn about her joining the Strix coven and actually looked at the spell with her properly. Mikael and Esther had been fine after their resurrections, whereas Kol had complained immediately about being as "weak as a newborn babe."

"Not exactly the way I'd imagined this," he'd added feebly as she'd helped him into her old bed, and she'd given him a stricken look. If he was joking to deflect…

"I'll be right here," she'd said bracingly, touching the side of his face.

"Davina Claire," he'd breathed.

And then he'd gone under, as if unable to keep his eyes open even a moment longer.

That was a day ago, and she wishes even one Strix sister had survived so she could check spell side effects with _somebody_. Or that she dared leave long enough to grab his notebooks.

But mostly she wishes that Kol would stop lying so deathly still and just open his eyes again.

She can't help thinking of that warning he'd given her, about Aya never keeping her promises…

But he shifts, and she gasps and hurries over to the bed with a hopeful smile.

A smile which falters when she sees that he's merely turning over.

Still, it loosens the anxious knot in her chest. Spontaneous movement points to sleep and not some magical coma or suspended state.

But it also exposes a view that makes her heart skip faster before she swallows and pulls the covers back over him.

She'd found Esther a shroud to cover herself with, but surely she can do better than bedsheets for Kol.

And luckily, that problem can be solved without a fellow witch.

* * *

Josh doesn't bother holding back his grin when he sees the reason Davina summoned him to the Attic.

"Ooookay, I know we've done some crazy stuff up here and I'm not like, judging or anything. But just to clarify: you need me to shop for you because naked sleeping guy—correction, _hunky_ naked sleeping guy- just _lost_ all his clothes on the way up here?"

Davina gives him a look somewhere between exasperation and mortification. "It's _Kol_. I brought him back from ashes and blood so… clothing was not part of the package."

Josh shakes his head and blinks away his confusion. "Wow. Yeah, okay. That… makes total crazy witch sense. And… you are such a _badass_ , I am just… really happy for you. So this is real-body him, huh?"

She shrugs and smiles wanly. "Kol Mikaelson, in the flesh. But he practically passed out right after. And I have no idea when he's going to wake up. I'm worried I screwed up somehow."

He eyes her as she twists her scarf in her hands. "Hey- I'm sure he'll be fine. Being dead has to take it out of a guy, right? Anyway, I'm thinking sweats? They'll stretch even if I guesstimate wrong. You sure like 'em tall, huh?"

That gets only a half-hearted smile. "I really appreciate it. And- could you grab me his notebooks out of the playhouse? I just want to double check a couple things."

"No problem. I'll be back in an hour or two, tops. Just…try not to worry. You're the best witch I know."

Davina rolls her eyes at him drolly. "I'm the _only_ witch you know."

"Yeah, well. The only witch who's ever broken a Sire Link, too, so. You know. I got receipts, too."

She finally huffs a laugh, and he gives her a reassuring squeeze before he heads for the door.

She'd laughed so easily when Kol was around- hopefully this is just a tiny delay at the end of the road back to slightly-less-serious Davina.

* * *

"Sooo. Do you want me to help you…?"

Davina smiles and shakes her head. "No. I'm going to try to wake him to dress himself. If he's sleeping –even really deeply- he should be able to rouse enough to complete basic tasks."

Josh nods. "And if you can't?"

Davina takes a shaky breath and gestures at the stack of notebooks. "Then I've got my work cut out for me."

Josh frowns and gives her a suspicious look. "Should I even ask if you've bothered doing silly stuff like eating and sleeping since you pulled off your witchy doubleheader?"

"I'm _fine._ I slept at Marcel's after breaking the link."

"Translation: nope, you haven't bothered eating and haven't slept for more than twenty four hours."

Davina rolls her eyes and looks away, not bothering to deny it.

Josh sighs. "Fine. You can hit the books or whatever, but I'm getting you some takeout and _you are going to eat it_ while you study, okay?"

All her stubborn defensiveness deflates, and she turns back to him with a grateful smile. "Thank you for understanding."

Josh shrugs and rolls his eyes, sighing. "What are friends for? Besides doing totally awkward things like trying to guess what kind of underwear your boyfriend wears."

She groans and covers her face. " _Oh my god._ I owe you, okay?"

"You think we could get Elijah to compel me to forget if we asked nicely?"

" _Josh!_ "

* * *

Kol resists waking. But the fact that he frowns and makes a sound of protest is a good sign.

"Kol, I'm sorry. I know you're tired. But there are some clothes hereand… my dad runs the gym downstairs. He would flip out if he saw you like this."

His brow twitches and he half-smiles.

"Hardly incentive," he mumbles.

"Please, Kol. For me?"

He sighs before cracking open his eyes.

"For you," he agrees, and he rolls over and hoists himself upright with obvious effort.

She looks away as he clumsily pulls on the underwear and sweatpants she's set out. And she smiles when he slides an arm around her waist and pulls her back against him.

"Sorry to be such a snore," he says, resting his head on hers.

"It's okay. We have all the time in the world now. Just rest until you feel better," she says, squeaking with surprise when he nods and pulls her back down to bed with him.

"Missed you," he manages, "…just... let me… hold you until…"

And then he's out again like a light, his breathing slowing and his body warm and heavy against hers.

But she doesn't resist. Being right here is all she's dreamed of for months. And the display of lucidity means that he's going to be fine, and that she can give in to her own weariness.

So she rests her head against his chest, pulls the covers up over them and closes her eyes.

* * *

A/N: It didn't make sense to me that Davina would be non-plussed over him sleeping for three days when she's done two other resurrections where that didn't happen. Plus I needed to know how he got un-naked, so. :P


End file.
